I tend to overdo it when buying summer produce. I just get way too excited when I go to the store and see all the beautiful colors of berries, stone fruit and melons that I go into a frenzy and fill my cart up! Well, there’s only so much fruit three people can eat and I hate throwing anything away so I find any way I can to preserve it a little longer. One of my absolute favorite ways is salsa!
Peaches make a great salsa! They have just the right acidity and sweetness. I grill them up with the onion and chiles to give the salsa a subtle charred flavor. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, aromatic and bright. I eat this salsa on its own with chips but it also makes a great sauce for grilled pork chops, chicken or fish! It’s especially delicious on tacos with my Ginger Beer Braised Carnitas!
Here’s what you need:
Freestone or Clingstone?
Because this is a grilled salsa, you are going to need to find peaches that split easily down the center so you can grill the flesh side as well as the skin side. These are known as freestone and they are available later in the summer (as opposed to clingstone peaches that are available in the early summer.) The actual varietal of peach doesn’t matter as long it is freestone. Freestone peaches have pits that pop out easily, hence the name. Just run your knife along the natural seam then give them a gentle twist to separate the two halves, then pull out the pit.
Drizzle the peach halves, onion half and chiles with olive oil and sprinkle them with a little salt. Hatch chile season is also in the late summer, so of course I’m gonna use those in my salsa, but poblano or Anaheim would work as well.
Grill the peaches, onion and chiles for eight to ten minutes, depending on the amount of char you want, then let them cool for a few minutes before handling.
Make the Salsa
Remove the seeds and stems from the chiles and any skin that is pulling away from the flesh. Place them in a food processor with the onion and cilantro. Purée this until well minced before adding in the peaches. I add the peaches last because I want them to remain a little chunky.
Quarter the grilled peach halves then toss them in the food processor with lime juice and a pinch of salt. Pulse until incorporated but still chunky.
How long can will the salsa stay fresh?
Keep this delicious salsa in the fridge for up to 5 days in an air tight container. If you don’t devour it before then you can actually freeze it! Just allow it to thaw completely in the fridge and enjoy it all over again!
More recipes to try:
- Green Chili-Tomatillo Salsa
- Fresh Pineapple Salsa
- Sweet and Savory Grilled Peach Salad
- Peaches and Cream Cheesecake
- Perfectly Peachy Peach Sauce
Grilled Peach and Hatch Chile Salsa
Ingredients
- 5 peaches freestone
- 1 hatch chile
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 1 jalapeno
- 1-2 limes juiced
- 1 handful of cilantro
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Half peaches and remove pits. Drizzle the peaches, onion, and chiles with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place on a pre-heated, well oiled grill and grill for 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway through. Remove from grill and allow to cool for a few minutes before handling. Remove any loose skin from the chiles as well as the seeds and stems and place in a food processor with the onion and cilantro. Purée until well minced before adding the peaches. Rough chop the peaches then add them to the food processor with lime juice and pulse until incorporated but still a little chunky. Check for seasonings then add more salt or lime juice if needed.